A shooting at a bar in southeastern Mexico claimed the lives of five people and left seven others injured on Saturday night, authorities reported. The attack took place at La Casita Azul, a bar in the city of Villahermosa, Tabasco state.
According to a statement from the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection, the attackers stormed the bar and opened fire on customers, leaving a trail of bloodied bodies. Authorities have launched a manhunt, analyzing video surveillance footage and deploying coordinated patrols from state and federal forces to locate the perpetrators.
Tabasco, known for its oil production facilities, has seen a troubling rise in violent crime recently. This incident follows a similar attack in Villahermosa last November, where six people were killed and 10 wounded in another bar shooting.
Such violence is not isolated to Tabasco. In recent months, other regions have experienced deadly bar shootings, including a November attack in Queretaro that left 10 dead and another shooting the same weekend in a suburb of Mexico City that claimed six lives.
The escalating violence underscores the ongoing crisis linked to drug-related crime in Mexico. Since 2006, when the government began deploying military forces to combat drug cartels, over 450,000 people have lost their lives in related violence, according to official figures.
Authorities continue to investigate Saturday’s attack and intensify efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
